The present invention relates to computers, and more particularly to determining texture coordinates in compute graphics.
Textures are used in computer graphics to make computer-generated images appear more realistic. A texture consists of a number of texture elements ("texels"). Each texel has a value corresponding to color, intensity, or some other image parameter. Texel values are used to modify the color, intensity, or other parameters of corresponding pixels in the computer image. See, for example, M. Segal et al., "Fast Shadows and Lighting Effects Using Texture Mapping", Computer Graphics, 26, 2, July 1992, pages 249-252, incorporated herein by reference.
In the computer, texels are identified by texture coordinates. Thus, finding a proper texel for a pixel involves determining the texel's texture coordinates. It is desirable to provide small and inexpensive circuits for determining the texture coordinates.